Did you catch the holy trinity watch Kumail Nanjiani wears in Marvel’s Eternals?

Whenever you need some feel-good action thrills, the release of a Marvel Cinematic Universe film is usually a safe bet. That being said, when Eternals first hit theatres the reviews were not as positive as they usually are – in fact they were mixed at best. As a result, I did not rush to a theatre to catch it on the big screen. Instead, I waited it out for the day it would arrive, which was January 12, on streaming platform Disney+. Having now watched the full film, while it was by no means my favourite, I actually enjoyed it much more than the reviews made me think I would. Whether a film is bad or good is obviously subjective, but I can confirm that there is a undeniably great watch that makes a wrist cameo. So if you do watch the movie, be sure to keep an eye on the wrist of Kumail Nanjiani throughout the film.

I would never dare spoil a Marvel movie, so fear not dear reader. But one given, considering the action clips we saw in its theatrical trailer, is that Kumail’s character Kingo is involved in the glamorous Bollywood scene. Eternals are immortal heroes sent across the universe to protect planet inhabitants from a race of creatures known as deviants, so, while the Eternals warriors of the film reached the earth in the BC-era of the planet, in the present time within the film, Kingo is a wealthy and beloved Bollywood actor with many successful action films under his belt. As we would expect from a hotshot celebrity, Kingo wears expensive clothes and drives a luxurious supercar – all of which have the aesthetic tie-in of the colour purple that the character is clearly very partial to.

Kingo’s nice clothes and sick car were not the only cool purple accessories in his arsenal. During a fight sequence, as he is taking on a deviant in the forest, a watch comes into perfect full view as he prepares to blast the enemy: an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph in frosted white gold. Given his other preferences, it should be no surprise that the Royal Oak Chrongraph he is sporting has a “plum purple” dial – the perfect tie in to the purple theme while also offering the luxurious pizzaz befitting a fictional Bollywood icon.

The watch: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Chronograph ref. 26331BC.GG.1224BC.01 Limited Edition of 200 pieces.

Your typical Royal Oak is known for a predominant rich satin-brushed finish vertically across the top of the bezel, case and bracelet, with mirror-polished accents and bevels that result in a majestic light show on the wrist that only top-notch hand-finishing can achieve. But the hand-hammered “frosted” finish found on Royal Oaks such as this dramatically ups the sparkle factor, and those missing a sense of the more traditional finish will be glad to know the polished accents and bevels are still present in its design. Measuring 41mm in diameter, 11mm thick, and carrying a solid depth-rating of 50 metres, the precious timepiece does have a relatively robust design – though it is fair to say you would need to stretch your imagination to believe it would survive a superhero battle without a scratch.

Inside, the watch houses the AP calibre 2385 – built upon the F. Piguet 1185F ebauche, notably the thinnest self-winding chronograph movement when it was initially introduced. The vertical clutch column wheel chronograph movement features a flyback complication and has 40 hours of power reserve.